Faribault Man Arrested In Connection To WI Shooting

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office apprehended the couple sought in the May 27 shooting of a rural Colfax, WI man Thursday morning after a pair of car chases over two days in two counties.

On Wednesday Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies pursued a stolen red Volkswagen Jetta. The vehicle was reported to have been stolen out of Woodbury, Minn.

According to the Dunn County News, the driver and passenger of the stolen vehicle were suspected to be 34-year-old Shawn Harris Goplen of Faribault and 36-year-old Kari Lynn Blank of Ellsworth, WI. The two were wanted for an attempted homicide in Dunn County, Wisconsin. That chase ended when the car crossed into Pepin County.

The next day, an off-duty Barron County Sheriff’s deputy reported that the stolen Jetta had been seen at the Dollar General store in Rice Lake.

As local law enforcement set up a perimeter around the store, Goplen took off in the car. The second car chase in two days led deputies on more than a mile into the county before returning to the Dollar General parking lot.

Both suspects were then taken into custody and were booked into the Dunn County Jail. They made their first appearance on Friday.

Goplen has been charged with possession of a firearm-convicted of a felony, substantial battery-intending bodily harm, second degree recklessly endangering safety, and misdemeanor intentionally pointing a firearm at a person.

Goplen remains in custody on a $25,000 cash bond. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim or Blank.

Blank is facing a felony charge of possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor person duty to aid/report a crime.

A $5,000 cash bond was ordered for Blank and no contact with Goplen or the victim.

An initial appearance for Blank has been set for June 26 in Dunn County Circuit Court.

The shooting occurred on May 27, after a report was received of a man who sustained a gunshot wound in the town of Tainter, WI. When law enforcement arrived at the home, they found a 48-year-old man who had been shot in the leg. The man was transported by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.